The Fallout From the Romney Video

9/21/2012 11:00AM

Obama campaign adviser Stephanie Cutter goes on the offensive after video surfaces showing Mitt Romney accusing 47% of Americans of being victims. WSJ reporters discuss the video and how he can get his campaign back on track. Photo: AP.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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I ... a tough week for the Romney campaign a secret video goes viral followed by some unflattering all members ... welcome the D C Bureau the Wall Street Journal's online politics show ... on Jerry Sithe of the talk about all that I'm joined by Stephanie Cutter deputy campaign manager for President Brock Obama who's with us from Chicago Stephanie thanks for being with us ... banks are having a ... you know the video I just refer to the BC the one with Governor Romney talks about forty seven percent of Americans not paying income taxes in saying they're not likely to support him ... obviously dominated the political conversation this week but ... are the two things that Governor Romney was pointing to the fact that there is a higher number of Americans who don't pay taxes and there is a higher number of Americans ... who get government assistance are those legitimate topics for conversation ... after living within a topic for conversation but I think that what Mitt Romney was really saying was ... forty seven percent of the American population almost half the country ... don't take personal responsibility for their own lives ... and he basically read them on that they're never gonna be before before him because ... they're too busy looking for handouts and counting of self of victims ... I don't think that that the state of this country now think that ... accurately reflects the problems in terms of our tax base ... I think that if you're talking to ... the middle class family sunny making twenty five thirty five ... forty five thousand dollars a year ... I they would wholeheartedly ticket disagree with that they do pay taxes they pay payroll taxes social Security Medicare ... the case and local taxes they pay gas taxes ... I in fact the four of those families they leave chaos of a higher share of their income in taxes than Mitt Romney that's ... certainly more than thirteen point nine percent which is what met with Romney's ... I've tax rate was in his last complete tax returns that he really is ... so I think that's about it first on that Romney doesn't have a solution to it ... aam andsecondly was inaccurately talking about ... the American people he basically was disparaging half the country into a bit disparaging are completely out of touch with their lives ... this is a prison Obama would agree that for example expansionist of the food stamp rolls is not a good situation in the long run and that would be reversed ... I don't think that's because people are dependent on government or that they're looking for a handout account or some such victims ... I think that's because we ... I over the course of the last ... decade ... have depleted our middle class and not a lot of her wealth from the middle class to the people at the top ... and because of that ... we crashed your economy punished the middle class and ... and when into the the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression ... we've been taking out that over the last four years because of an extension from it stands we're able to keep families together and help them make ends meet ... and took care of many children across this country would of been harmed by the recession ... now ... the president has reeled deatails cancel plans on the table to help people enter the middle class and stayed there ... because without a strong middle class we can have a strong economy we can build an economy meant to last as completely different from what Mitt Romney wants to do is actually putting a system in place let's go back to the same policies ... that favors those at the top ... and as everybody else behind ... so ... you know it's interesting that Mitt Romney's and you think that the president of ... of making people dependent on government ... what did the net result of Mitt Romney's plan to be increased dependence UI suspects that the one thing you would agree with Governor Romney on is the underlying this is a really big debate in this campaign about size and role of government in years ahead ... and that there are some big differences here we've ... just been appointed to that again have a week ... well I think I'd I do think riff that Jerry aam and a couple of different aspects I think the American people are debating the role of ... the American people are looking for good effect of policies ... to help people into the middle class ... and stay there ... they understand that veterans deserve good benefit thing understand that ... the senior center and or Social Security they understand it we need good public schools I mean I understand that we need to train artistically for the job for the future ... those ... are terribly our government investments but are actually an investment in a strong growing ... long-term sustainable economy ... the American people know that's ... not a debate about big or small government it's about ... and debate about strategic investments to grow our economy ... now for us to Mitt Romney ... all of those benefits would be packed ... yet you'd rather give a tax cut ... too bad multimillionaires for two and fifty thousand dollars ... and invest in education ... the gravity of attacks that ... do at multimillionaire It millionaires Fortuner fifty thousand dollars ... in investing in infrastructure ... and small businesses ... sell at the end of the day was this plan is not an economic plan it's not a jobs plan ... in and day three distribution plant from those in the metal for those of the top we saw how that works ... over the last decade and led to our economy crashing ... and led to the depletion in the middle class ... and I went to the worst financial crisis in a generation ... he knows that the redistribution were the bases interesting stuff that is you know better than I do Republicans appeared with her on video this week one of those in ... the private citizen Obama Oregon Senator Obama talking about ... did the idea of TV distribution ... the structure the systems that ... coal resources ... and yes ... facilitates the redistribution because I actually believe in re distribution ... at least a certain level to make sure that ... everybody's got a shot what did he mean by that and is still ... an actor reflect his views ... well a jury missing you watch the whole tape ... and if you watch the whole tape you understand a couple of things first ... that that the present was actually talking about the health law mural to it ... was actually talking about making government work better ... about reforming government said that we can expand opportunity ... and spent a stealth he's still the believes the match wits in today he still stand by those values ... and the rest of that tape that the Romney campaign ... conveniently and selectively cut ... also talked about the need to harness free market principles ... meet the need to embrace innovation and competition ... to expand opportunity for all Americans but the Romney campaign cut that piece of the tape out ... selected added a very similar to what they did during their convention must remember they built their entire convention ... around one out of context comments this is the only now because we ... don't say you didn't build that in America ... he ... that's the the the been building an entire convention ... now I don't think anybody believes that that convention with a success certainly not in terms of messaging well now they're in they're in trouble again and they're going down favorite China take a comment the president made many many years ago ... taking it out of context and using as a negative to the present we stand by what the president said back then ... at and where in inshore that his comments are taken out of context if the desperate and doesn't intend to change the subject of Mitt Romney's ... I know Secret shape of ... the consulting half the country and saying that they're you know ... that sounds and depend upon government ... will need them this was the subject of the little that stuff in it until the campaign finances know ... there'd been a sense for some weeks now and in your campaign has been saying for awhile that you're likely to be the only incumbent presidential campaign in history to be outspent by ... your opponent but ... it is beginning to appear that maybe that's not so much the case that there are signs of the Romney campaign having some financial difficulties ... I suspect you that some fund raising success based on the controversy we've been talking about here ... how does this fund raising and the finance picture for you look for the rest of the road here ... well I think that we've we've had some success in fundraising because our grass trees continues to grow ... you know in our filings just today ... I there are hundred and seventy two thousand pages ... of low dollar donations people McGrath rates that are taking part ... I in the selection and joining the president's campaign ... of than double ... the number of pages of the previous month somewhere were having some success we have some energy out there people to buy ratings on the convention ... the surgeon drivers in as you think that that did the video controversy are the signs of that sexy improve fund raising owing you work for ... now I think it you know that the numbers that we pray that today Jerry is our ... over a month old ... on we know we have continued finance and ... I'm it's not not largely a reflection of Mitt Romney is a reflection of support for the president's ... now when the you know you mention that we've often said that were the first incumbent be outspent ... that still remains true ... because if you counts all of the Republican super PAC spending which is really the unprecedented nature of this campaign were significantly outspent ... up to three line in some media markets on air ... I in on the ground to set what it will continue to be outspent by the Republican super PACs but I'd rather be off than them because we have built this grassroots force across this country ... people who feel ownership of this campaign or can work towards the president's re-election who will miss you file a of of something that looks down the road just a bit debates has the president planned to prepare for the debates over the next couple weeks in this the lights preparing for debates ... I never liked to care for for just a fact ... of the night you ... know ... the effect ... that might not ... I Aikido it look he is bending carrying around a briefing book ... um the love that Mitt Romney's positions in trying to study them that you were trying to fit ... this much debate prep and as possible he's got other pressures being the presidency of that he of the day job ... so to speak at and we had a cutback some debate time because of some of the pressures of being president ... you know he'll come into the person they prepared certainly not as prepared as Mitt Romney I just read today that Mitt Romney and and the last couple of days in ... the forty eight hours of debate prep and within those forty eight hours he did five miles debates ... and dining out has done debate prep knows the intensity of five mock debates ... I think that Mitt Romney will come into the first debate ... of better prepared more prepares ... I've been any ... everything can and in recent history aam and we know that he is a pretty good debater ... he was he won sixty nine at twenty ... I try to Republican primary today it's ... the use those debates very strategically when he was down ... news debate to turn the course of the election around that's how we won Florida if you remember ... I came into ... that debate in real trouble but use that debate to turn around a can of the winner ... so we're expecting um a very prepared if the plants ... aam aggressive debater to show up on October third Denver to face President then ... know which will be prepared as well but I think that come in at Romney's own words he's a champion debater are expected to show up ... so I think the other big audience we get to that point the stuff the thanks very much for joining us the hope we can Skype talking as we travel the ... six weeks or so and anyway so how does the Romney campaign respond all this and what about those poll numbers will look at that will rejoin the Wall Street Journal's editorial meeting in progress coming up next ... the sheer political party that is the worst tumble at the door you ... grow ... their branding that maybe ... this is the U S Grant ... Wall Street Journal I think so much more than a walk to the new digital network from the Wall Street Journal it's really a collection of channels are package from where I ... featuring daily grind of the regional progress live in on today ... no one has done anything like it ... I ... so you know some weeks you're not sure where to start when you're talking about what people are no clues and this is not one of those weeks that ... the the the story was the Romney fundraising video ... the most telling part probably this will listen to present ... the the the the ... you are ... the ... we believe there are high ... the owner moved out of ... the day ... I ... only ... so does an awful on ramp up in this short and ... forty seven percent of people don't pay taxes to the country is dependent on government ... and I'm not interested in the events of that ... you know they didn't get to find ... the debate in the week and also defines an issue that's underneath at that sexy resembling for ... twelveth out of the golden sun the sun to share political side of it is the worst kind of stumble and that it's it's the ones that emphasize the feeling of operandi were among the electorate and ... here's a ... cozy group of donors with ... Mitt Romney to dismiss a normal stuff the population ... underscores ... the problems that have ... a certain part of the electorate and to establish and implement is not just the ... rich guidance part in a rich people ... to but you know the it's the ... it's kind of that the way politicians come off in private moments that customers are mostly voters were talking in on the euro earlier this week about how ... you when you read that with Iran you see this like the in his speech after speech talks alot ... pay no attention they get a you know one minute snippet of something is set in private and that is what registers and I think people Nestle think well that's when you really think the PC sales stall their big speech to be done behind closed to the cellphone cameras that are critical to all the attention right ... I think it's a sad feeling that when the MC ing s dance beats that they can and sell probably didn't I that that that yet this is a necessary how he feels that what he thinks he needs to stay and sell ... part of the MCO script and people are ... just gravitated toward anything that seems off the cop that it really does matter because you know the proper bomb and had his moment like this the two thousandeight campaign ... the the ... I ... and that has stuck with him in my view leads to this thing is he lost those blue collar voters in Pennsylvania to Aurukun and any loss and again in the two thousand election ... and they still don't like the guy so I think you know this is a moment that probably lasts the ... bigger and I think that with hindsight an even forty years later ... when Paul Ryan venomous Company said I'm a Catholic deer Hunter ... with no explanation needed and it just because that that so ... they kind of ingrained in us we all remember Obama saying it and so I mean Ryan brings that up without explaining it over to Louisiana to write and ingrained ... as this will be read it ... we learned a couple things ... one is that Mitt Romney has been making so that you get ... the fiscal strategy was to me ... as an upbeat ... secondly ... it ... we don't read the editorials law Street Journal but they wrote a pretty good ... draft of this piece from the couldn't get in on this topic ... so he's touching are really the issue in ... this on your reporting ... that a lot of Americans even those who get benefits think that some a lot of people are mooching off ... but he did it in the least possible ... police possibly constructive way ... and he in introducing city set the rate ... it was all sticky so I know half the country's gonna vote for me or what it was ... as conservatives crazy is that I think it had Mr. ... SBNY version of vision or other of the conservative message and how and when ... he would bring people in once they understood it was a vision of freedom an entrepreneurial to achieve in America ... when you say on that one of fifty point five percent of but also it just because her footsteps from or Medicare so Security doesn't mean you know conservative and will look for me I'm not hiring people like the tarpaulin we found that the biggest strongest sub sub sub income bracket for eleven thirty to fifty thousand of its overall the report of a fair number of those warm days ago ... that Apple has been true for awhile with Republicans is true for John McCain is now the core of the Republican party this is is bad timing this is the isthe came on the same day that they're reserving the campaigner in to start turning specifically wanted everyone to pay attention to me that what ... they're putting other men ban the thing that's um that was basically we can ... the trouble of weeks to lose them but let's go back to two was of the New Testament ... David which is ... the the the points at the core of this is his stated that more elegantly ... are that you know that the percentage of people who pay taxes this country has dropped ... in the percentage of people who get government checks has gone up for that does bother people that legitimate point break and so that the waiter when the waiter presented as I would like to live in a country where fewer people me ... handouts from the frightened ... or makes a little money to pay income taxes ... and I think that's an argument for growth ... the Romney could of made for turning into an us versus them ... thing for him is not constructive ... he's already got us Rich versus them the rest of the sedition well though as you said conservatives love to service any more than happy if he said but what you said every day on the stump ... I think it was actually ran that either people have kind of ... we passed this increase over pay and better terms ... and Mitt Romney hasn't Mia needs to do that I mean he's just kind of continued his stated in this awkward way ... and there's a better way to see a ... better idea makes me in and we and mean while it still saddens and interview them and subsequently ... that you have a lot of people I just can't when their boat and I think that's what's it ... like mealtime top larger public existing don't give up these people ... you can't win unless you can consume Obama voters to support its suggested that appeared immune to the the nails on chalkboard harder for Republicans is in part because they're seen this play out against a backdrop in which ... there's a feeling that Mitt Romney is slipping and we have a national poll this week you wrote about Aneel ... that any showed ... not ... disastrous falls of any kind for from the Romney ... was ... slow steady ... there's a clear that Obama is in the midst of a retreating as two thousand and their coalition the ... prom is having difficulties getting into the way to have ... Obama up by about five points ... or less what it is in the national ... polls now in of an average of all the polls ... and the biggest thing I think it's difficult for our ... Iranians in the literature even in his best to handle the economy but that is the general uptick in optimism an awful lot of people I think that on the economic front in other news ... it that the ever optimistic the desecrated and I don't I don't feel myself but he was at a conference in New York this week ... in an average HR I really ... get you dare say at ... the event sponsored by RBS the British bank ... and about four hundred investments tied to money managers to put ... them in a losing week if I might add ... and they said would you expect to win ... eighty three percent said they expect Obama to ... lay one can expect ... soap is beginning to be this ... kind of aura of inevitability which was ... terrified if I were running the campaign is can you guess what even if I were if I were in the run this campaign actually the number would I would be more worried about this weakness in the forty seven percent number and all the attention that the number that Center poll which you just referred to that ... we s the square in the form of a stream of refreshments of today ... during the next twelve months t think the nation's economy will get better we get worse or stay about the same ... in July twenty seven percent said it will get better in the next twelve months now that number is forty two percent to fifteen percentage point rise ... in just the last four months even though you have been Rene Kyi coming out saying things are so bad right forecasts that I'm going to open the spigot and hope ... you know hundreds of billions of dollars ... I don't think he and I don't know how to explain that actually except that maybe people think Denver Nanking is slowly fixing it or maybe Brock a bomb is commercials work when he says it's not great it's getting better ... right ... Romney's closer to kind of a crack at this ... The and again he said you know ... people don't really differentiate into specific issues and I don't know whether that's true ... but I mean I think you need to discount the general outspent that ... that and for whatever reason people felt better after the Democratic convention ... and perhaps that translated into just a new ad ... just an overall sense that things are going to be ok and ... and the Democrats were compelling and I mean instantly art numbers in a new numbers that we had intended to Italy ... that the annuity rate of any numbers in the one thing the Romney campaign seems and decided at week's end is that the need to keep him out on the road in the in the midst of real voters more and maybe that's how you can help start getting that message through ... write to their second pre set in a week ... that of the week was weird when you talk more about specifics ... and that didn't happen because the rate of pension fund raisers and then we got the video notes that's ... right and and and so now they're going really sad is they're going spend more time ... at at doing political rallies and public events and less time events leading prisoners but I think ... Republicans are growing frustrated with this he spending so little time in front of voters in swing states ... this week you when to get on with it how when you with that ecstasy when Georgette ... and that the first nineteen days of September ten then he had no public events for the British boat ever since Al and the suspects to be displayed to the national anthem Republicans are saying you're kind of ... the injury looking a lot ... but to all that means that the Anwar's really are important and then you gave Democrats ETF which took them less that twenty four hours and turn it on Anthony while the Romney campaign is coming back when another hot topic in and in its own look at those when DC bureau continues in just a moment ... I ... Wall Street Journal I think so much more than a walk to ... the new digital network from the Wall Street Journal it's really a collection of channels are package from where ... featuring the daily grind of the regional progress live in on today ... no one has done anything like it ... Romney calls half the American people ... why ... victims ... Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan ... Medicare is going ... that's not politics its mass ... so it was probably inevitable that Romney's video would turn into an Obama ad that happen within twenty four hours priorities USA super PAC supporting President Obama put out looks like this ... behind the store is Mitt Romney calls half the American people the law ... victims behind these doors middle-class families struggle Ann Romney will make things even tougher raising taxes by up to two thousand dollars to give multimillionaires a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar tax break ... ok and and Ronnie will never convince us he's on our site ... so it's it's hard actually to wrap all that ... funny feeling the thirty seconds but that tries to do it by comparing your rich fundraising locale to average Americans ... in their and their homes for the forty seven percent and that's the implicit message that matter I think that that kind of makes itself in the main priorities if it ... didn't happen you might have a film then that means and where the Padres a tenth place in you know that's an average folks and ... they added continued with their theme of Mitt Romney wins the middle class loses and that ... and say I mean and Mormon CEOs with the alien they know what to do with ... the saint of love ... but this is more than the middle class loses this was piece disparaging of urine and the snow was ... no perverted is that the fact is there ... another haven't had a common event of another Republican outside groups affected and they've been in a disappointing Christmas a lot for not raising more money ... you know so being lamented that the focus on the whole thing as bad doctor Bain go up to Romney as his heartless businessmen in ... and that is often the boss and that's with the ever done all summer long in the longest oatmeal comes the video images ... London the flaw in thing that they did was ... so Ronnie doesn't actually a tax plan says and raise taxes on middle right ... they they have ... but everybody thinks that because he slept enough ... on field goals the thing that allows analysts say well that's the only way to go into now ... no there's no footnote to the Romney has actually said this ... police originally set up for now we do that but ... exact but the thing is that he was ... he was not just that he was dismissing the forty seven percent but that he was saying they're kind of all natures around that's what I think probably hurts the most is the sense that ... you're not entitle this affected taking some government assistance ... units Medicare so Security means that your service by most people who get government benefits they pay his or her ... right and it's only someone else who does it ... does ... so and that's a very hard distinction for politicians to write exactly so that wasn't a surprise it was a little more surprising is that the Romney ... campaign came back fairly quickly with an add on a subject I don't think most people expected them to approach which was Medicare ... and you thought that one look like ... met Romney and Paul Ryan get it ... Medicare's going broke ... that's not politics its mass ... anyone who wants to leave Medicare like it is is letting him go bankrupt ... my mother's eighty one and depends on Medicare ... we can save Medicare without changing her is ... only the younger Americans accept that our Medicare will be different than our parents when we retire ... thirty years ... after all they did for us ... isn't that the least we can do ... so ... and most evil than Medicare has traditionally been a tough issue for Republicans this ad says essentially weren't the ones who in her Medicare to those who will not fix Medicare are going to read so they take the governor of Maine the Senator from Florida ... who is an expert in Medicare because it's Mother's day we saw ... the face of a six-person manicure Dolata senior citizen ... read through ... to ... and I think he's saying exactly the right thing ... if Medicare is not change ... it will go bankrupt ... that's a fact as a political ... thing ... he when he doesn't do was say and here's how Romney Ryan was fixing versus how Obama and by ... six ... years ago the no going back to Tampa ... Florida on the RNC convention the various press and Paul Ryan speech came on the really big on the kind of we need to do with the big problem for Democrats on ... another with the theme that colorful bottle inside double right for the last couple of weeks and then throw all the summit to start ever going to go about about ... what others of what ... has become the third rail talking about Medicare fixing Medicare ... I am a little skits a friend about this but they were talking that winter enjoyment a K and France has had about Iran Eastern time at a time to read to the convention ... and in last week when I was with Romney I didn't even hear him say you know where the Nikkei action and so now this we call Brian and Obama are both going to address the AARP ... they're they're going to run ... RINO and an Obama and and said they're going talk about Medicare I think all trends we bring his mother ... and so you are settling back into his mother's at the ... Melbourne Florida ... is this to ... it's really Michelle's mother and baby she's discussed also he discusses her to bed so we're back to daycare so the question is whether this is just for the purposes of the eight RP speech ... oh and underweighted rapid again or is this going in the central focus going forward and what will find out ... in recent and in a succumb to the meantime you can join us next week here in DC bureau will take a closer look at the election map in both parties ... paths to victory meantime you can join the conversation on Twitter at hashtag WS J live ... on Jerry Sithe ...